The Basketball that the Kunoichi Plays
by CrazyPandaHat05
Summary: After a mission gone wrong, Namazaki Kiyo lands herself in Modern Japan with no way of escaping. However, with stumbling upon the world of Basketball, she is soon to face a new adventure alongside the Phantom Sixth member, Kuroko Tetsuya.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: The stories main protagonist, Namazaki Kiyo is an Original Character of mine. If any of my readers has any questions based around her specifically and her background, then I reccomend my fanfic 'One More Chance' which looks into her history in better detail.**

 **Anyway, happy reading and enjoy!**

* * *

The day got as rainy as it could get.

Stormy, grey clouds rampaged in the sky, a downpour of rain flooding the area with the clear liquid as the heavens opened to welcome the village of Amegakure. Then again, this has always been a natural thing that shinobi in the village have gotten used to over the years, as well as the fact that they lived in a society where they didn't have a leader, but rather they weren't looked after by what was presumed to be a god. Even so, no one in the village dared to question the mysterious person's authority. After all, they were all living safely in their homes because of so. Yet, this doesn't mean that outsiders weren't suspicious.

This was where a certain Konoha kunoichi had been assigned to investigate. The red-head whom went by as Kiyo had been given this important mission in order to uncover the secrets behind the village, as word had it that it was the main base for the Akatsuki leader. Being a covert mission, this was her speciality, so it was natural to pick her, despite only being of chunin rank when a jonin should have been assigned. Either way, one way or another, it was still a life or death situation that she had accepted.

Yet, she didn't expect to happen so soon…

Sneaking past security was more than easy enough. It was all just a matter of forcefully stopping her chakra flow for now. However, sneaking around on the streets without being caught out by any shinobi was difficult since her unusual appearance would have been identified. Yet, unknown to the reconnaissance expert, she had been caught in the act the moment she had stepped onto Amegakure grounds. It was just a matter of time before a fight would break out.

' _Come on… Come on…_ ' The girl had thought to herself whilst looking for any subtle hints on the matter she was investigating. It primarily came from following other shinobi and ease-dropping into their conversations within the shadows, just like a typical ninja. Yet, no luck at all on the matter. Most that had come up was about their family and any plans they had that evening, a subject that was quite depressing for the lone Namazaki member. Even so, her job came first over her personal problems, and she knew that well…

"Ah! Tobi can finally see our visitor at last!" Sung out a voice from above one of the buildings. The woman's head jerked upwards to view a single individual with a swirled orange mask hiding his facial features, yet much else was hard to identify from the rain and the darkened environment despite being day out elsewhere.

The masked figure had leaped off the building and came down onto the girl like a ton of brinks. Luckily for her sake, speed was her ally. She had been able to dodge the impact and judging by the shallow crater that was left as soon as the smoke cleared up, it seemed that it would have ended there and then if she had been caught by that one single punch. But now that she was able to get a good look at the person, as well as the black cloak coated with blood red clouds, it came to her understanding that he was a member of the Akatsuki whom had remained dormant for some time. For some reason, which was more of a presumption, it placed a sense of dread into her soul. There was definitely something going on with this individual.

Wait… How was she finally caught out?

"Tobi was being a good boy and following orders. Besides, we have been tracking you since you came here. But I can't say much else. It's a secret." The seemingly childish man had stated, placing one finger up to where his lips would be.

Before responding back to his comment, the red-head had taken a brief moment to split up what he had said. He mentioned 'we' and 'following orders', so he was clearly not the one in charge of the organization. This means that there was someone still around who has remained behind the scenes of everything that had been going on, especially with the uprising of some of the Akatsuki members whom had, for some unknown reason, had been collecting tailed beasts. Someone who had lead this 'Tobi' persona in her direction. But one thing was for certain…

She had to get away… Or else…

"I guess we got off on the wrong foot…" Kiyo said with a friendly expression, no signs of hostility in her tone or expression. The truth is though, there wasn't anything of the sorts deep down, but more so, it was pure fear yet she did her best to hide it from the enemy before her. A fear of a slow, painful death with no one to know what had happened. Or more likely, no allies. Her hand had reached up to scratch an occurring itch on the back of her soaking crimson locks that clinged mercilessly onto cold, pale skin of the Kunoichi.  
"But can we just let this one slide? I'll be on my way and I won't tell anyone what I saw."

That was a lie and it seemed that whoever this strange guy was, knew well enough it was just a dirty lie in order to get out of the situation unharmed. Although, despite not having much of a chance of escaping, at least she had gained herself some time to conjure up a plan.

"But if Tobi did that, then he wouldn't be happy. He told me that I could have the pleasure of destroying any spies that came our way. ~ Looks like it's my lucky day! Whee!" He gleefully yelled whilst spinning in a circle in a childish fashion.

' _Seriously, what was wrong with this guy, if he even is that.'_

This was precisely what the girl was thinking, judging by the look she gave and the comical sweat drop running down her face. Is this guy even a threat to her? Perhaps that one punch was just out of luck. Was she simply just being paranoid since she was currently in enemy territory?

Nope… There was more than that…

Within that split second of letting her guard down, Tobi had taken the opportunity to give the first strike; a blow to the stomach. Blood spurted out of the female's mouth from the forceful impact, eyes widened in surprise and a surge of pain striking every part of her lower body. It felt as if her organs were turned into mush.

"You're too late…"

No… This couldn't the end. Her sight was slowly beginning to fade, and her body felt heavy, but if anyone knew anything about this red-head, it was that she had quite a fiery temper when forced against a corner. A smile slowly eased on her lips, blood running down her chin as she merged her hands together to form ninjutsu. Her right hand came away from the other and tensed us, chakra induced lightening flowing and sparking drastically in said hand.

"Chidori!"

With such a short range and with such a deadly jutsu, there's no way that this guy could survive this attack. Within seconds, it would simply create a hole in the enemy's chest and she could get out there without anyone seeing her face. Or that's what she presumed.

In fact, it was the complete opposite.

Her hand did go through his chest, but so did the rest of her body as well. It was like he was a ghost, but at the same time, his body looked absolutely solid, not translucent like a spirt. What the hell is this guy!?

The battle had gone on longer than expected. From ninjutsu, to weaponry, nothing was hurting this guy at all. Everything she gave just phased right through him! Could he even be hurt at all!?

But worse yet, could she even handle any more of the continuous battle? The Kunoichi wasn't exactly in the best condition. In fact, she could barely stand, her chakra was running dry and her vision was falling into darkness more and more by the minute with every hit she took. Sweat poured down her face whilst her breathing remained ragged for the longest time. With no time to stop and regain any energy, all she could do was minimise the amount she used, but it didn't seem to make much difference.

Her head turned to look back at the man. What she had seen in that precise moment had made her entire body freeze up in horror. Her two eyes widened once again as they stared deeply into the hole that was in the mask, a red luminescent glow with three black spirals forming the shape of the pupil with the shadows that the mask made. Was that…?

Sharingan!?

"You should have ran when you had the chance." Tobi said, his voice turning far more deep and dreadful than before, a voice that could make your spine crawl. So that sadistic yet cheerful side of him was just a gimmick? She was sure that he was hiding something, but what exactly was something that she would never find out. At that point, she was surely to be brought back into the afterlife once again.

It was time to say good-bye…

Kiyo had shut her eyes at that precise moment. She didn't have much chakra in her system and her strength was quickly depleting the more she realized that she couldn't hold on for any longer. Besides, her line of sight had already met with the males for too long. This was surely the end of her. She could feel her form being pulled into the void, her body morphing in ways that she didn't think was possible.

But for a moment, despite opening her eyes slowly, everything was still pitch black. So, this must have been the afterlife. No, she knew perfectly well what it was like. There were sounds surrounding her.

And one unfamiliar one? It was like a low rumbling, almost like a powerful engine. The noise was growing louder and louder, the bright light emanating from the source growing brighter and brighter the more that the girl stared. What was this? Her eyes narrowed to fixate on the light without becoming blind, her hand reaching out to touch it, as if it was going to be her saviour from a never-ending darkness. But something snapped…

With her instincts to avoid danger kicking in so suddenly, it was no doubt that this was some sort of trap. The man with the mask she had faced before did have Sharingan. Maybe she was just trapped in his genjutsu. But that feeling of her body being forced into the void – how could that be explained!? Either way, her questions were to be kept for later, especially with the such a risk quickly approaching.

The sound of a horn became her alarm, the light becoming clearer and splitting into two to form a set of head lamps on a car. Judging by the people in the front seats, they had been panicking, and trying to stop the fast-moving vehicle, but it seemed that within the distance of her and the car, there was no way they would be able to stop to a halt in time.

There was only one last resort.

Her legs produced as much chakra as she could with the amount of time she had left before leaping off to the side away from danger. But something felt wrong. She had plenty of chakra unlike moments ago, and for some reason her wounds had miraculously healed. But with leaping to the side, and her attention preoccupied by the smaller things, she didn't look into the bigger picture. When leaping away off the road, her form had collided with a steep hill before actually noticing, the red-haired girl spiralling down in a clumsy heap of flips and twists, grunts and yelps following every single crash. The pain did kick in the moment she had finally reached the bottom and into a set of bushes, but between being ran over by the vehicle and that, she would take the latter any day of the week.

Her shut eyes had eventually awakened to take in the breath-taking of the moon, her blurred vision eventually clearing up once again. Well that was definitely an experience, but it was probably for the best to keep it a secret between herself and her bruises, otherwise she would never hear the end of it from Kakashi. Just the thought of him mocking her pissed her off to no end.

But once again, it was strange… Everything seemed so different. The fresh smell of the night air was gone, the peacefulness was destroyed, and not only that, her surroundings were so unfamiliar. It must have been an illusion, considering how whoever she faced had so much up his sleeve that it wouldn't surprise her if he did something so futuristic. But at the same time, why was everything so clear? Why was everything following an orderly fashion?

Whatever…

It could have been anything, so it was probably for the best to keep her guard up and study the area as soon as possible. If this had been a reality, a completed world filled with humanity, she wouldn't reject the idea but could there be the chance that she…

 **Travelled to another universe?**


	2. Chapter 2

So, this was modern Japan…

It was quite the change to what she was used to. In fact, it was most likely overwhelming from how much she didn't know about the world. All this new technology, the casual vibes of everyone she passed, but most importantly, there was no fighting on every corner of every street. It was…

Peaceful?

That truly couldn't have been a coincidence, but even then, just a few hours was enough to make her realize how little she and the Shinobi world truly knew. Even that outsider feeling she once had was slowly coming back to her. Just everything felt so wrong and out of place, but never-the-less, the only thing that Kiyo could do was suck it up and try to live among the regulars from one town to the next. Maybe this was the start of a brand-new adventure.

Unfortunately, unlike the world she was used to, it seemed that trying to make a living was harder than what she had first thought. Her dirty, roughed up complexion, the only clothing that she had on her back. Most had labelled her as a hooligan and sent her off whilst others like gangs whom gave off bad vibes had tried to recruit her. Even if she didn't want to admit it, it was the truth itself at some extent. Survival was her prime instinct, and that instincts had lead her into snatching small bits and pieces to at least keep her going. It wasn't at all anything that she would do, but at this point, she had no choice. Besides, it wasn't as if anyone had caught her red-handed.

But that night… That night was something truly different…

Her journey had led her to a small, quaint part of Tokyo. Or more so, it felt peaceful and quiet because it was quite late at night. Everyone must have been indoors, in their own personal and safe warmth with their families.

Family…

Just the thought had already brought up so many memories. Her parents, her life-long mission given by the Kazekage, something within her was trying to tell her that it was all connected in some way. Would Gaara kill them out of spite. The girl just simply shook her head in rejection of the thought briefly after. No, that couldn't be the case…

The path that she took had lead upwards by a river, the soft, tricking sounds of water slowly flowing in the opposite direction. It was one of the remaining sounds that comforted the girl. With living in a nature situated environment, this had truly felt like that she was back home. But unfortunately, it wasn't the reality that she reminisced it to be.

"Seems like the stars are clear around here…" She whispered to herself with a smile, her glance looking upwards towards the night sky, a cold, brisk breeze coursing through every strand of her crimson red hair. So, it must have been winter by the point, judging by the wintry weather, but yet, it didn't exactly bother her too much. Sure, it made it harder to keep still for a lengthy period of time, but it was something that she had gotten used to over the years.

A small stroll following the river had finally reached middle of a small yet sturdy bridge arching across the slow-moving water. The perfect area to just look up at the stars. It made her truly wonder though, what was out there? If this world was real? How could it have remained so hidden over the years? Then again, those who she had passed had spoken behind her back, describing her as a 'cosplayer', whatever that was. At this point, she took everything that was said about her as a positive thing. Not through egotistical reasons, but with the foreign world, she didn't want to seem suspicious towards the locals.

But something seemed odd. It was almost as if she wasn't alone. As if there was someone nearby…

* * *

"Man, that was a tough game…" Breathed out the chestnut-haired male, his bag held tight over his shoulder and bouncing across his upper back. Ogiwara Shigehiro – a high schooler from the nearby school in that region. Day by day, not much has happened in his life; school, basketball, friends and home. That pretty much made up his life but as uneventful it may sound, it was quite the opposite, especially his love for the sport that he now took pride in since his defeat during the final year of Teiko. It was inevitable after all, but never-the-less, things have changed since then.

The brown eyed male had given a light sigh before he had looked up from the same pathway that he walked every day from school but beyond him, from the bridge, there was a sight just beyond him that he had never seen before, one that he couldn't take his eyes off.  
Crimson red hair, unusually pale skin from the lack of warmth in her body, and from what he could see, her eyes looked to be a beautiful shade of green, just like the beginning of Spring. Along with the scenery of the luminescent moon and stars, it truly made it quite the sight.

But as predicted, when the girl had felt the nearby presence, heard the footsteps come to a halt, her curiosity got the best of her. Their glances met for the first time, but some reason, a hint of red had appeared on the boy's cheeks. What was he blushing about?

"Hm? Are you alright?" She asked, a kind yet sympathetic smile adjusting her previous features but it seemed that her comforting smile did not help Ogiwara at all. He looked way too nervous. His next comment justified that well.

"O-Ogiwara! And you!?" He yelled in a panicky fashion, the heat on his face not seeming to fade away, but rather grew even more deeper and darker. Boy, talk about an awkward guy but even so, he seemed really genuine at least. He seemed trustworthy to say the least.

"E-Err, I mean, I am fine. Thank you for your consideration." He finally stated after the brief moment in silence given specifically for him to collect his thoughts. He footsteps continued forwards, advancing closer to the girl to merely have a one-on-one conversation. Nothing more, and nothing less.

"But can I still ask… What is your name?"

Now that was where the girl hesitated. Should she even give her name? With such an abnormal lifestyle, and the fact that the duty of a ninja was to keep quiet, she couldn't risk giving away too much about her. Even if she couldn't get back into her own world, she couldn't risk it at all. But then again, giving her name wouldn't hurt.

"Namazaki Kiyo is the name but just call me Kiyo. It's nice to meet you Ogiwara-kun." She responded with a closed eyed smile, her head becoming lowered in a polite fashion, as something that became natural for the strictly raised child.

"Aha, it's nice to meet you too! Now tell me, what are you doing out here? It's late… You're also going to catch a cold like that."

Busted… Or so she thought at first…

"I'm a traveler." She quickly said the boy, as if it almost came out instantly. Come on, Kiyo, keep it going…  
"I came along to work in the city since there wasn't much jobs where I lived, but people around here are pretty harsh when it comes to seeing them in person…" She mentioned with a realistic sigh. But unlike the rest of her comment, it was true that it frustrated her on how hard it was to find a job, considering missions in her own world came flying in left, right and centre.

"So, I'm guessing that you don't have a place to live in? If you don't, then you can stay at mines until you can find your own place."

Her train of thought had snapped immediately from both the question and the offer? Would he really accept a total stranger into his house? He had no idea whether she was completely innocent or a murderer so why was he risking it.

"I-I'll be fine. I'm used to being outdoors." She said, yet with just a single yet strong gust of freezing cold wind, the red head began shaking, goose bumps running up her bare arms. Seems like lying wasn't going to get her anywhere, but it didn't seem the guy beside her didn't mind at all. In fact, he still had that kind smile on his face.  
He took off his jacket at that precise moment, flinging it over the woman's shoulders so that it settled just there. It was her choice whether she would accept the gesture or not.

"You don't have to worry, I'm not going to hurt you… Now let's get going before it gets any darker out…"

And with so, the kunoichi gave in and stayed with the high-schooler, at least until she could get herself back on her feet.

* * *

But as much as it seemed awkward at first, the two of them had gotten along pretty well. Not only did he make her feel welcome, he shared all of his utilities and some of his old clothing for the night time, which on her looked quite baggy. Despite so, they still gave some form of comfort, almost as it the clothes were giving her a gentle hug. He also introduced her to a lot of other stuff, basketball being one of the main things. Since then, the red-head had become infatuated with learning how to play, although because of Ogiwara's busy life with school and practice, she never really got the chance to play a game of it.

But yet soon enough, she had found herself an apartment which for the time being, she was getting for free as long as she helped the owner with manual work so that was what she had been doing throughout the daytime every now and then. It was a very rare occurrence, but considering how the land-owner was quite old, it would have to do for payment. But now that she had finally moved in, she at least wanted to do something for her new-found friend so just for that final night, she had decided to cook up something for the two of them.

"Welcome back. I made us some food if you're hungry." Kiyo cheerfully said to the male whom appeared into the room, the delicious and harmonious smell of spices and rice filling the room. Turns out that the smells that strangely went together perfectly was laying on the table on a plate. Curried omurice? He would have questioned why but at this point, but knowing the strange girl, she didn't want to take anything without repayment. Boy, was she stubborn…

"Smells great!" He responded back, his glance moving over to the television, and of course, it had been a Basketball game that had been on. That brought up an idea to which an old friend of his called him about not too long ago.

"Hey, I have the day off tomorrow. I was going to go see one of my friend's match and then catch up after with him. You want to come along?"

A live game with her own eyes? Normally she would reject the offer if two friends were catching up, but then again, she could easily just head back to her apartment. After all, it wasn't as if she had anything to worry about. She was a ninja!

"Sounds fun! I'll come along."


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on! We're gonna be late for the match!"

Cheering could be heard from within the large room, a crowd surrounding the stage which happened to be the court. Of course, her new-found friend had given her all of the information on the match that was taking place. It happened to be two high school teams, Rakuzan and Seirin, each known to have one member of the Generation of Miracles on their teams.  
Yes, during her current binge researching session, the name had come up once or twice in a few of the magazines, but what she didn't expect was the room to feel so heavy, the crushing atmosphere that had been built over time was something that she never expected to feel in this world. Then again, they had only made it during the half way point of the game, it was understandable if they had made it incredibly intense during the peak of the moment.

But what piqued her interest other than the game was a single piece of intel that Ogiwara had given her during their travel to the stadium, and that was about his friend he was supposed to catch up with later. Shorter than the usual player, a blunt, seemingly emotionless expression and with teal blue hair was how he described him, yet nothing of the sorts had popped up yet.

Yet…

Out of the corner of her eye, a short of blue had showed up out nowhere. Without a doubt that was him, but how did she not spot him instantly. Sure, she didn't have any form of vision in her left eye, but that wouldn't matter, they were in the stands, able to see every single action taking place! Just the shocked expression had brought a smile to her companion's features.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to add that part. He can use his lack of presence to pass the ball to others, but even I admit that he had gotten stronger over the years. I haven't seen some of these techniques before." He admittedly said in order to sort out any sort of confusion or misunderstanding, but even then, that was only just one piece of the puzzle identified in its perfect place. Despite the fact that they had an unwavering passion for the sport, the fact that they were this powerful… They were indeed monsters…

But only just one team would gain victory in this final match in the Winter Cup.

The match had continued on until the final Time Out session, both teams were mentally and physically exhausted as shown by the sweat that poured from their faces, their chests jolting in and out struggling to catch their breath. After all, with both teams having such strong members, it was natural that they would be in such a state, although judging by the expressions of Seirin's members, it seemed as if they were close to giving it all up. Judging by the score and the short amount of time left, the normality would have been that it was impossible to win.

At least, that wasn't before Ogiwara was going to do something completely unpredictable.

"Go for it, Kuroko!" He had yelled out to his blue haired friend, which immediately caught his surprised and full attention.

"Ogiwara-kun?"

The immediate shock had turned into a tearful smile, yet only just by one action. His best friend through middle school and taken out a basketball out of his bag, a large grin painted on his face. The girl didn't precisely know what went down years ago, but truly the moment was touching in a 'ripping out your heart and tearing it to pieces' sort of way to say the least.

But this wasn't the end of it. Within the stands, one after the other, three members of individual teams had begun to give their full-on support for the final stretch of the game. Each of them seemed familiar… Aomine, Kise and Midorima, three members of the Generation of Miracles whom were defeated one time or another by Seirin.

"Seirin! Seirin! Seirin!..."

The chanting had echoed throughout the stadium, giving each and every member that motivation that they truly needed. This crowd of people believed in the team, which alone gave them the power to finish off the game until the end. And that was precisely what had happened. Yet, what had happened was something that nobody had expected. Kagami had finally entered the 'Direct Zone', finally ending the game with one last dunk, and with only just a one point lead.

The crowd had remained silent for a brief moment, almost as if they were attempting to put together what had just happened but almost immediately, a large uproar of cheering happened, celebrating for the winners of the Winter's cup. Seirin was officially named champions and they were ecstatic over their own victory…

With giving a final glance up at the audience, Ogiwara still had that large smile on his face, but what confused him was the girl beside him whom had given him a thumbs up gesture with a bright smile, practically her own way of saying well done. Yet, if only he or anyone by that matter, knew the irony of it. It happened to have been a gesture used constantly by Might Guy and Rock Lee, two Taijutsu styled shinobi whom over-exaggerated everything that crossed their path. But despite not having a single clue on who this girl was, the red-head had received a nod and a sweet smile from the shadow player before heading off to change.

Yet, the both of them knew that that wasn't the end of it…

* * *

Whilst the group had decided to go to Kagami's apartment to celebrate after the game, Kuroko had split away from the group in order to meet up with his old friend at the basketball court where the two boys had initially met and gained their friendship through their love for basketball. But this time, the mysterious girl she had met at the game was there with them, which implied the question, was she just a friend, or his girlfriend? He wouldn't have been surprised of the latter, with it being years since their friendship had taken a downfall with their argument. But after some questioning, the question had been resolved.

"I see. It's nice to meet you. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya." He implied, taking a polite bow as a greeting. That had been the first thing she had recalled from him, his kind and polite nature. He seemed to be the quiet type, just like her. Maybe perhaps they could get along in the end.

"Namazaki Kiyo, but just call me Kiyo. It's nice to meet you too Tetsuya-san." She said with an equally polite bow, somewhat derived from the strict upbringing she had experienced through her own childhood but there was still a casual vibe to the fact that she preferred to be called by her first name, the main reason being that it became a habit of people mistaking her to being a close relative to the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

"Ah, sorry if I am intruding on your get together... Ogiwara insisted I came along... " The girl added with a sympathetic smile.

He shook his head at the apology.

"No, it's fine. I really wanted to meet you ever since I saw you in the Finals. Thank you for watching, I appreciate it." He stated, once again giving a bow of gratitude. Although, despite the fact that many could predict him relatively fast now even if he didn't show much emotions, what words had come out of his mouth next had surprised the both of them.

"Though, I am amazed that you became friends with Ogiwara-kun so easily since he can be loud and annoying sometimes."

Boy, talk about being blunt…

An irritated yet comical tick mark had appeared on Ogiwara's forehead by the comment.

"Oi, what's with the comment, Tetsuya!?" He exclaimed out of embarrassment. Although it didn't seem that Kuroko was even remotely phased by the fact that he insulted his friend and the fact that said friend was annoyed. Even the argument seemed one-sided, especially consider how the blunt male was answering so causally and truthfully every chance he got. But yet, it wasn't anything to worry about. The chestnut-haired boy had finally cooled down and soon enough, it was time to part ways for the evening.

"Namazaki-san… Would you like for me to walk you home? Ogiwara-kun said that you're staying at the same apartment as I am."

So that was quite the coincidence…

"Ah, sure. I guess with it being dark out, it was probably best to walk home together. Besides, company is always nice to have" She said quite innocently, yet deep down, her inner self was laughing. If anyone was to attack them from the shadows, she could easily take them down. Even then, she couldn't act so carelessly…

"If that is so, then we will be leaving, Ogiwara-kun. Please take care of yourself and don't eat too much. You've gotten fatter since we last met."  
Once again, this landed with the agitated male in throwing a playful punch at the Phantom's head, which proceeded with laughter.

"You never change, do you Tetsuya."

Once the young kunoichi had given her gratitude to the male whom took her in for the short space of time, the fun had ended for the night and the two began to head back to the apartment complex. But before so, Kuroko had decided to treat the other to a Maji Burger where the red-head had been introduced to the new idea of 'fast food'. It was such a sweet gesture that he was treating her, so she gratefully took it and asked for something simple whilst the boy simply went with his favourite item – a vanilla milkshake. But as soon as they left the establishment, it had all returned to silence, with the exception of the pattering sound of their own footsteps across the concrete pathway.

"Namazaki-san, do you find basketball interesting?" Kuroko asked unexpectantly, breaking the silence between them.

"I do, but I guess it's difficult to explain why…" She began, a smile edging on her face. "… It seems like such a fun sport. But I always find that I come to admire those who put in the effort towards something. Although, I just never expected it to be so intense in person…"

"I see. I love basketball, but there was a time where I once hated it… But with such a feeling, I never imagined it to be so painful." He explained, his hand gripping onto his jacket upon where his heart would be. Just speaking about the sport and his true feelings about it had brought a sense of warmth and pleasantry. No matter what, it would never leave him…

"Do you know that feeling?"

That was truly when she knew she had something in common with the boy. Her eyes had wavered just as much as her voice. It was a painful memory, or more so, she still felt that same agonising pain till this day. It was something that would never leave her…  
"I do… There was this guy I knew from back home. After I had lost everything, I tried to put the blame all on him to make things much easier for myself. But instead, it just made things worse and the pain kept on growing and never went away. I just can't hate him…"

"I understand. It is indeed painful, but I am sure that it will pass someday. That feeling… I hated it, but now, I love basketball and the team. Because of them, I wouldn't have had as much fun playing it. That is why I hope they will love and play it with all their might." He said, a very rare chuckle escaping from his pale lips upon reminiscing all his times with the team, especially with Kagami whom at the beginning of the year, became the light to his shadow. Whether the two had their arguments and their fights, the two overcame all the obstacles and somehow have still remained together.

The cold, winter breeze had brushed in suddenly, causing a shiver to run up the girl's spine and for goose bumps to stretch up her arms. Frozen droplets of snow began to fall from above, landing on the ground in the form of glistening speckles. Every breath and every word that was shared had showed a warm mist. Sure, she had a coat on which made it warmer than her usual clothing but it was only a matter that she wasn't used to the cold climate of the modern world, and to Kuroko, it had been obvious by her tense figure

"Here…"

With just that single word, Kiyo's head had turned towards his direction, a thin yet long layer of red cloth had suddenly become wrapped around her neck cosily.

A scarf? Her eyes had widened by the realization, her glance moving up to the male whom gave a sympathetic smile to her shocked expression.  
"I don't want you to catch a cold like this. We'd better hurry back before it gets even colder…"

It was a good thing that he had given her the scarf. Just by such a sweet moment, her cheeks began to grow pink and warm which she had been able to hide behind the soft material cuddling her neck, but without saying a word, she just gave a nod of the head before the two headed back to the apartment. But yet, that warm feeling, the intense feeling of her heart pounding in her chest, it never left at all during the time that they managed to remain together. She had never felt this way before.

Is this love?


	4. Chapter 4

What a wonderful night that was…

The mystery of the phantom player that she had been told and heard so much about was certainly real, but the red-head quickly realized the true identity of this human being; Kind, friendly, and a gentleman, despite having the issue of being so blunt that its borderline offensive. Even so, he hasn't said anything that would unleash the girl's unexpected wrath out of nowhere just yet.

The night had just got as cold as if could get but the two had safely made their way back to their apartment complex. One elevator up to their fourth floor and it was finally time to say good bye for now. Although, for some odd reason, he never asked for his scarf back and simply gave a good night before heading inside. Maybe he forgot about it…

No, something like this wouldn't be something that he would just give and forget within a short space of time. But what other choice was there? Never mind. She will just return it in the morning or at least when she will next see him…

The tiresome and exhaustion kicked in the moment that she stepped inside the slightly warm apartment complex, a welcoming vibe allowing the girl to settle with a calm, kempt smile.

"I'm home…" She muttered to herself before locking the door behind her and proceeding to collapse onto the sheets on the bed, vision turning slightly hazy. It was such a comforting feeling finally getting her own bed, in her own personal space once again, despite her gratitude for her recent friend allowing her to stay. Even then, she got the perfect view of the night sky out of the night window. Not as clear, she thought to herself, but still beautiful none-the-less. Though, without much time, her half- lidded eyes closed, letting her finally fall into her own dreamland.

Those hours that induced her in a peaceful slumber didn't feel long at all. Before she knew it, light had streamed through the window, giving the sleeping maiden a cheerful good morning, though it came to her mind that despite having the welcoming sunshine on her side, a chilling breeze would soon come along as soon as she stepped into the outside world. Though, that reminded her within her foggy mind…

A slow hand brushed lazily across the creases of the well slept sheets, up until the point where her touch came across a cotton material. The scarf that Kuroko gave her that night, though slept with it on that entire night. Good thing it was still in perfect condition…

Though, the idea of struggling to get herself up and about was quite unsightly for shinobi in general, whom had been known for their hard life of training and fighting. Then again, this modern lifestyle was far more comfortable than she imagined. She had the right to relax a little, right?

Okay…This is getting off the topic at hand…

A moment of blissful silence passed before she finally got herself sat up, eyes still half closed and looking around her surroundings as if confused. A new place, a new life. It was strange, but it seems like 'strange' was attracted to her like a homing missile, ready to blow out of proportion.

The time spent getting ready was fairly quick, and even by early hours of the morning, Kiyo had already been heading out, mostly to get some food for the apartment. Though, just as she was leaving and heading down the corridor, the sound of a door unlocking and opening had caught onto her attention.

Kuroko?

The familiar blue haired male had been planning on meeting an old friend during his middle school days, and had been rushing, though once seeing the red-head, he couldn't help the urge to stop and talk briefly. Not because he had any sort of closeness to her, but just from the fact that he wanted to be polite and not leave without a greeting.

"Namazaki-san… How was your first night here?" He asked, the nonchalant look in his equally as blue eyes not giving her any sort of hint of what he was thinking.

"Couldn't fault it." She replied with a closed eyed smile. The girl's hand had reached down into her bag, grabbing something inside. With pulling it out, only the flash of red was enough for Kuroko to realise that it was the scarf he let her borrow.

"Thank you for letting me borrow it last night, though it was probably for the best that I would return it at soon as possible."

Though, despite the fact that Kuroko had taken it back, it didn't lay in his possession for long. Without even a moment to warn the girl, or even spare a single word, let alone sound, he wrapped the scarf around her neck once again. But why?

"You don't have to give it back Namazaki-san. I don't want you to go cold through winter. But take it as a welcome gift for moving in here. Besides, it goes so well with your hair."

A compliment?

Her cheeks gradually started to turn pink, her one-eyed glance moving elsewhere other than to him, a usual gimmick if the girl ever got embarrassed in such a way. With her head nuzzled into the soft fabric to hide half of her face, she began to talk with an introverted tone, timid and soft.

"This is really sweet of you, thank you. But just to say, please give me warning next time you do something like this…"

The smallest yet faintest smile could now be seen on his face, his head bobbing a little as a response.

"Okay…"

The pleasant moment between the two had ended with just the sound of a phone, or more so a message for Tetsuya. The expression on his face had remained stagnant as he read the short message, his baby blues once again peering up to the girl, though with an apologetic look in his now softened eyes.

"I apologise Namazaki-San, but I'm in a hurry." He said, placing his phone back into the bag that he was carrying. Then again, just as he was about to head off, a thought provoked his mind. He was only meeting with just a friend to play a few rounds, right? It didn't seem like she would be a bother in the slightest. Considering that she had showed up to the Winter Cup finals, it was safe to presume she had known something about basketball, or could it have been his friend dragged her along? Hopefully it had been the former…

Without another moment to spare, he spoke up once again, a few sparing words leaving his lips.

"Want to come with me to play some basketball? I'm sure that Aomine-Kun won't mind having you around."

It was unexpected, yet she couldn't refuse his offer. It wasn't as if she had anything to do today. Perhaps grab some shopping? Otherwise, she had no reason to reply with a 'no', even if she wasn't particularly interested in most company for the most part. The less people who knew her personally, the better.

"Ah…Sure, I'd love to."

But one question….

Why did his friend's name seem so familiar?

The walk to the outside court had just been like that previous night; Quiet. Quiet and silent with the odd small talk here and there, but at the same time, it wasn't awkward. To any normal person it would be, but for introverts such as them, it was the most comforting feeling being in someone's comfort, even if the odd stranger mistook the two bright haired individuals as a 'cute couple'. They weren't a couple, but Kuroko's actions, his kindness towards her, she couldn't blame them from presuming this assumption. If it hadn't been for his straight forward personality, she wouldn't be surprised if he had a girlfriend. But was it wrong hoping that he didn't have one? Probably, but having a friend in a literal 'out-of-the-word' situation was enough to satisfy the ninja.

Down the narrow pathway which seemed to be fit for two people to walk side by side, the wall had turned into thinly laced metal, an empty area now in view aside from two highly placed nets and a tanned man sitting there, alone. His empty looking gaze now was caught on the familiar face, along with the girl trailing beside him in a tensed awkwardness. Of course, this brought an unusual smile to the bored looking man's face, an idea sprouting up in his head.

"Oi, so when did you get a girlfriend?" He asked whilst standing up, forcing the two to stop to a halt. Kuroko's expression remained just his usual, aside from a certain annoyance that lightly glazed his expression. Kiyo's on the other hand, was the complete opposite, blushing hard and absolutely speechless as if she had been caught off guard. Not saying a word, the usually quiet Tetsuya spoke up.

"We're just friends, unless you happen to be jealous?"

If the two weren't close enough for him to know Kuroko's boldness, he would have otherwise been irritated. But he wasn't. Rather his smile had returned into a semi-tired expression, a scoff escaping his throat as he planned to return back.

"I'm not jealous at your shooting skills at least. You still need a lot of practice…"

At that point, this was an invitation for the two to shoot some hoops. As Kuroko was lead into the middle of the court, the two began to play rounds after rounds, yet as Aomine retorted, there was one thing for certain…

Kuroko really was bad at shooting at hoops.


	5. Chapter 5

The cool, wintery air worked surprisingly well for the sport. At first, the red-head was hesitant on joining in on the fun, considering how not only was she not accommodated to the chilly climate, but they were far better at the game that she could ever be. At least, that was what she believed deep down. Not that it bothered the ninja in the slightest, but once Aomine began teasing her about her 'frail nature', provoking her into playing, her fiery temper and competitiveness took over her sense of pride and dignity when it came to loss eventually.

Once they began to play on the court, the frosty tingling that latched onto her skin, forming goose bumps as a result, began to melt away in the form of sweat. To the boys' shock, she wasn't all that bad. Actually, she was quite decent for it being her first time playing. Her speed and her aim covered up for her lack of expertise though in the end, the tallest of the three won every single one on one match. Tired as they may be, there weren't any sort of bitterness or rivalry in their friendly game, even if Aomine was gradually growing tiresome of snatching the ball from the both of them and plunging it into the hoop.

Soon enough, once the afternoon strolled in, they decided to call it a day and began to pack up their belongings, or at least attempt to as it ended with Kuroko chasing after his husky companion whom didn't want to leave just yet, around the court. This lasted for a good few minutes at best, with Tetsuya failing in his offerings for whatever a dog would want in return for him to stop. Though it didn't look like he was going to stop anytime soon…

As humorous and adorable as it is, this could potentially go on all day if left alone. Though the situation itself allowed Kiyo to take matters into her own hands. With her thumb and index finger spread out between her closed lips, she blew on them, forcing out a high pitched shrill that caused Nigou to stop and perk up his ears in an attentive manner.

No doubt about it, it was a handmade dog whistle.

She whistled again to keep the puppy's attention in bay, beckoning him over to her. He did so quite happily. He rushed over to her as fast as his little legs could take him, soon leaping onto her legs before settling down for some affection. As a result, she hummed in satisfaction, her other hand gently stroking the dog's head and body.

"That's a pretty cool trick. How did you do that?" Aomine asked, eyes slightly widened and showing a growing, yet curious interest.

"Hm?" She hummed as her line of sight moved from the furry blue-eyed creature, to the dark-skinned man.  
"Ah, my teacher back home was a pretty big dog person. Because of… Circumstances, I spent a lot of time under his wing, so I learnt a lot from him."

Circumstances? Now the man was even more curious, which rarely happened, but he didn't ask any further than that. After all, he didn't have any right to barge into her private life like this, especially when at this point, she was merely a strange, an acquaintance at best.

"Hm, alright… But you'll have to teach me that sometime…" He added, although he still had that mischievous look in his dark eyes. Was he not saying something?

"Though when you do grow a few more inches tall, you may have a chance against me at my own game." Aomine added, a smug smirk appearing on his face, but with how quick it fell was an all-time record just by how she responded.

"Heh, funny how you mention my height when I could easily drop kick you with ease."

Even to Kuroko, the words that spewed from her lips came to a shock. What happened to that timid, quiet girl that they were initially introduced to?

But it wasn't as if it was a terrible thing…

Once the shock of this new, spunky ego subsided, the smirk came back yet again, a large hand messing up her hair roughly.

"I'll be waiting to see the day…"

Though unbeknownst to them, that day would be soon…

* * *

The two parted ways with the Tōō basketball player and headed down the now packed streets. The vehicles sped past them, neatly in line one after the other, engines running in tandem like a well-tuned symphony whilst everyone else focused their attention in idle chatter and gossip, but what grabbed hold of her own was the cold touch of Tetsuya's hand grabbing hold of her own hand, digits neatly wrapped around the back of her hand. Whatever confidence she had prior to getting trapped with the crowd, was now gone in a blaze of red across her cheeks.

"This is just so we don't get separated in this crowd. Are you okay with this?" He asked to the flabbergasted girl whom just nodded, aware that if any words were to escape, it would only be a jumbled mess of indescribable gibberish. The two squeezed their way through the bundles of adults, the only matter that the red-head kept going back to and worrying about was her palm becoming sweaty in his.

Heh, if only that was her only worry back home. Dwindling emotions instead of risking her life on the battlefield…

It was strange, but nice…

Her inner thoughts aside, she got so lost in thought, that it didn't occur to her that Kuroko has stopped, causing her to bump into his back before it was too late to stop.

 _Huh?_

She locked her glance with his, but his own was fixated onto the widescreen billboard on top of one of the buildings. Sections of the news was showing, coming and going, but one section that caught his attention was in the embodiment of an American blond-haired male with a black tattoo curving up his arm and neck. It was soon emphasised that he was a renowned basketball player called Nash. He spoke in his mother tongue to the interviewer, the next question striking a raw nerve in the phantom player.

"The Generation of Miracles? Those children? They aren't anything special. In fact…"

His narrowed eyes moved towards the camera, his intense gaze creeping into the watches soul with the intent of showing superiority over every 'lesser being', to grow an unknown fear.

"… I bet that if we come over there in one month, we will be able to crush them and put their fake pride to shame. After all, if there were the perfect team, they would still be together, right? The Jabberwocks are the ultimate team…"

Kuroko had heard enough of what the guy had to say. I t was clear by his tightening grip and furious look, something that Kiyo never expected to see from the usually calm-headed male. Considering how she couldn't understand a single word of English, she only had to guess that something was going down.

And it was all but a single call that it took to get word out…

* * *

Later on, that evening, all the members of the Generation of Miracles, plus Seiren's ace Kagami Taiga and Momoi Satsuki were all under the same roof, the meeting soon to start over what to do about their current threat, the tension rising every moment they waited until someone were to speak up with how they hadn't teamed up like this since middle school, and even then, that didn't end well at all.

"Hey, have you guys seen Kurokocchi?" The cheerful model spoke up to break the awkward silence.

It indeed work, however unlike the previous times ever since middle school, he wasn't in the room to be seen. It must have been out of habit that they expected him to be around, just out of sight.

With the frantic search starting, none of them heard the sliding doors to the gym open, the blue-head boy blinking nonchalantly to the commotion caused by that one question.

"Um… Did something happen?" He questioned, everyone freezing on the spot they stood. All eyes now stuck to him, as if they refused to let the phantom boy out of their line of sight in case they lost him again. It wasn't until the team's manager Momoi, leaped out of the maze of taller boys. She rushed over to Kuroko, wrapping her arms around his neck for a hug.

"Tetsu! Hm, who's your friend?" She asked, a hint of jealousy clouding her voice whilst the two girls exchanged glances, though the Pinkett's was slightly more passive-aggressive than Kiyo's. Were they dating? There was no way that someone would act that way unless they liked each other. Then again, Kuroko probably would have mentioned something prior, right?

"Oh, you're that girl from earlier, Tetsuya's flatmate. Kiyo, right?" Aomine recalled and interrupted the uncomfortable prediction between the two that otherwise, Kuroko couldn't sense at all.

Kiyo nodded in response to the familiar face, somewhat grateful that someone else jumped in to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. Her stiff muscles slowly began to relax as she continued the conversation.  
"Kuroko insisted that I come along to help…" She added, the nerves that was still lingering causing her voice to waver a little. Now that she got a moment to think it through, after fighting for so long, it was ironic that she was getting nervous over a little social interaction.

"Well, I'm not surprised. Even if you are short stuff, you still have some talent." He amusingly claimed, resulting in a provoked tisk from the girl. It wasn't as if she was annoyed. Actually, far from it, but more so it came down to just being some friendly banter.

"Just remember what I said before…" She muttered behind her seemingly friendly smile.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be waiting for you to drop kick me someday." He droned, his typical bored 'act' coming through in his tone. Though it didn't stop Kagami from smirking and releasing a laugh purely out of amusement. Just the idea of a lone girl taking down an athlete would make a perfect photo, especially with it being someone he could barely stand.

"I like this girl already." Kagami spoke out, resulting in an equally as nervous laugh from the red-head. If they believed that she was naturally violent, it will definitely be a long month…

But introductions aside, the fellow red-haired boy cleared his throat, speaking up just enough for his voice to echo through the gym walls.

"So, we have a month before our match with the Jabberwocks. Failure is not an option, so we will have to work hard and not slack off…"

His crimson eyes peered over to Aomine and Kagami, the two whom always got into some sort of heated argument at every chance they could get. Just by his stare, he was silently warning them to not pointlessly argue. It was a habit for them, considering they were both rivals, but what brought them together was a similar goal produced through fear of potentially annoying Akashi. Even if they weren't the best of friends, the two aces would have to tolerate each other if they wanted to survive their sadistic team captain and his sharp scissors.

"… We can do this. Let's get started!"


	6. Chapter 6

The team that was once drove apart by their differences was now gradually coming together, their strengths that was their downfall years back would come to be their greatest ally in the fight to dominate the court. Drenched in sticky sweat and struggling to breathe, this was the outcome out of every hard-hitting session to get everyone in sync with each other. After all, aside from Kuroko and Kagami, whom worked together as shadow and light, everyone else had grown rusty in this specific team since their Teikō days.

That didn't stop them for long…

Day after day, the 'Vorpal Swords' as they named themselves, grew faster, stronger, unbeatable. Even to the girl with the crazy super-human abilities, there boys were monsters in the human form. How she has been keeping up with them was beyond her knowledge. But in the end, it was her strict training regime back home that allowed her to keep up with them time and time again.

Back pressed up against the wall, chest pulling an pushing in and out heavily whilst she ran a clean cotton towel across her warm, damp skin. The shadow of a figure arrived by her feet, her grip now removing the piece of cloth from her forehead and around her shoulders. The shadow belonged to Kise, who held out a water bottle for her.

She gratefully took it, chugging down the cool liquids it contained.

 _Salvation…_

Once she stopped to take a breather. She realised that the blond was settled beside her, allowing her to speak in a leisurely way to the cheerful man. If anything, the two quickly became pretty good friends, something that wasn't that much of a surprise due to their opposite, yet strangely similar personalities. He was frequently happy, upbeat and generally great around large groups of people, in contrast with her down-to-earth, quiet self.

"You guys are incredible, you know that?" She said, piquing the copy cat's attention, his golden glance emphasising a keen sense of flattery from her compliment. In fact, it wasn't an exaggeration that he began tearing up.

"Kiyocchi…" He bubbled out in a wail, comically wrapping his long, muscled arms around her, forcing her into a tight hug that was squeezing the life out of her.

"K-Kise, I can't breathe."

He let go of her as fast as he hugged her once he heard the struggle in her voice, an apologetic yet sincere look smothering his tearful expression.

"Sorry, but you're amazing too! I wouldn't have imagined someone else other than Kagamicchi could jump that high." He said, the tears now replaced by a certain twinkle in his shining orbs. Just the enthusiasm alone brought along a light giggle, but that cheerful moment quickly dulled down like an over-used blade.

Up ahead, she noticed Kuroko speaking with the pink-haired manage. The conversation was probably to do with the incoming match within the week. They were probably discussing helpful tips and strategies.

So why did she feel so empty deep down?

This girl had everything going for her; Smart, pretty, a great personality. She even had a faultless figure. Sure, Kiyo knew well that her own wasn't terrible at all, and she worked hard to keep it that way. She was assured that Kuroko wouldn't be as shallow as to like someone just for that, so why was she feeling insecure all of a sudden? Was this the feeling of jealousy?

"Kiyocchi?"

A concerned voice called out her name, however unknown to her, the voice calling out to her had tried numerous times yet with no response until now. When she realized that she was staring at the two ahead, she quickly adverted her glance to the blond who was lightly shaking her shoulder.

"Are you feeling okay, Kiyocchi? You were spacing out back there…"

"I…I'm fine… Just…." Kiyo began, hesitance clear in her tone. There was no turning back now. "… Are those two dating by any chance?"

Kise blinked in response.

"No, I…" But that was when he pieced all the broken pieces together, an excited grin widening from one ear to the other. "… Kiyocchi has a cru- "

Before he could continue, she quickly placed her hand over his mouth to silence him. It was a good thing that his fan girls weren't around to see this at least, otherwise her fate would be sealed by a sudden rampage of angry women.

"Don't say it out loud." She hushed him quietly, her eye painting a detailed picture of embarrassment and fear. The girl couldn't help but get worked up over the idea of dating, yet the painful reality was that she barely had her feelings in check, so how could she even figure out how to confess?

With her hand now leaving the boy's lips, she found her knees hunched up to her chest, her face nuzzling in between them. A defeated ground followed after.

"I don't even know anymore. There's so much that I want to say but I can't… What happens if he finds out about who I am, and he hates me?"

"He wouldn't hate you… To tell you the truth, he likes when people are honest. Just be yourself and open up about yourself. I mean. It can't be all bad."

A strained laugh escaped her throat. Oh, the irony, she thought. She kept telling herself that, and every time, it leads to memories of bloodshed and death.

"Heh, you'd be surprised. I've done some things that I've regretted, things that aren't so easily forgiven."

"We all have, Kiyocchi, but we all have to move on at some point. Besides, even if you aren't able to tell him through words, then perhaps after we win, you can sneak a quick kiss." Kise added with a suggestive wink, the girl's blush hardening on her face.

But her mouth gaping open with only soft squeaks coming through in a panicked protest was the exact reaction he was looking for. As much as he was the happy-go-lucky goof in the group, he was still sly and cunning, which brought her into an awkward situation, thanks to Kise.

But what was that situation you may ask?

"Hey everyone, Kiyocchi has something she'd like to say!" He called out in his usual chopper tone, leaving his current spot in case the red-head decided to get back at him. Frankly, she was sure to do so in the near future but in the meantime, she had to deal with the curious glances of several sweaty guys.

The nervous put in her stomach dropped quicker than before, a sickening feeling growing more by the minute.

Damn it Kise…

"So, I uh…" Kiyo began, her voice growing an octave higher in pitch, followed by numerous grunts as if she was desperately trying to clear her already dry throat.

"Sorry… But there's some things that I need to confess, things that around here, would make me seem like some sort of crazy woman. Though, it's been long enough so I'm trusting all of you to not freak out, nor tell anyone about this… But… I'm a ninja from another world…"

She finally told them. It was vague, but she told them. Yet the weight on her shoulders didn't go away. The majority gave worried, pale expressions, with the exception of Akashi and Aomine whom were unsure on the statement. Kuroko remained blank on the matter.

"Show us…"

"Huh?"

"Please… If you're telling the truth, then you have proof, right? You can trust me, no matter how crazy it sounds." One of his rare smiles arrived on his face, a comforting sight for the rigid girl.

Thank you, Kuroko…

Even if it had been near enough a month since she had last used her abilities, the hand gestures she utilised moved in a fluent motion, as if each sign was integrated into her brain and would remain. In other words, it was purely instinct by this point.

Her movements stopped at a certain hand sign, though to their confusion, nothing happened. At least nothing in front of their eyes. Behind them, an identical clone of the kunoichi strolled behind the blond, lightly tapping his shoulder twice.

"Hm?" Kise hummed, fairly sure that it was just one of his teammates. Je turned his head to the familiar red-haired beauty, the confusion sky-rocketing. His head turned back and forth between the two identical figures.

That was when it hit him…

He bounced back, any form of fatigue or muscle strain disappearing within the blink of an eye, a shot of adrenaline shot into his heart and veins. Why was he seeing two Kiyo's?

Why was he seeing doubles!?

The momentary terror caused by the duplicate arriving out of nowhere brought a victorious sneer, amused by the fact that she managed to get back at him faster than she expected. And so easily… Talk about pretty revenge.

Though back to the topic at hand…

"This is what we call a shadow clone, a part of me that has a mind of its own. It's basically like my twin but our chakra source which allows me to do this and much more, is shared between us."

"Interesting… I could tell there was something about you, though I didn't expect this." Akashi admitted, observing the clone closely.

"So… Those circumstances…"

"I was given an assassination job in which I went through training for. My parents died in the line of duty, so my teacher was the only one I could rely upon for emotional support." Kiyo resounded to Aomine's uncertainty, though out of all that, it was the female's unphased personality to such a heavy topic that surprised him the most… But if she has moved on, then it was all good.

"So, is there anything else you can show us, Kiyocchi?" Kise added, the initial fear now turning into awe.

"Well… Nothing else that isn't destructive…" She mumbled in thought, though doing any demonstrations was out of question if she wanted to remain blended into this world.

"Actually…"

The word was mentioned, and the clone disappeared, though what was left behind was another Kise. From head to toe, from the eyes to the voice, she nailed it to a point.

"That's amazing" Is there by any chance you can take my place at work? Just for a few days," He begged, on resulting in her shaking her head in refusal. If anything, as much as the guy probably needed a break from everything, and aside from the crazed girls that no one would want to deal with, she was self-conscious enough to know that any mistake would ruin his career, or bring herself out into the open, something that she couldn't risk.

"Meanie, Kiyocchi."

The puffed cheeks and childish façade was just that, a façade. But it didn't stop her from giving a sympathetic smile as an apology. Perhaps she'll have to make it up to him with some baked goods or something…

"Anyway, you know my secret now, and I may not know about this world but all I ask in return is for you to trust me like you have over the last month."

"Please…" Her head was bowed down to the ground as she asked for their faith in her. Though, rather than any words, she was welcomed to a single pair of squeaky shoes, and a large hand giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze,

"We can't give you something you already have. Besides, I told you, didn't I? I like you already, given how we have the same idea about tall, dark and boresome over there." Kagami commented about Aomine, whom merely shook his head in disbelief.

If one dangerous red-head wasn't enough to scare him, they now had two…


End file.
